Exercise of Share Options

Ashtead Group PLC

Exercise of Share Options

16 December 2010

                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC                               

                           EXERCISE OF SHARE OPTIONS                           

Ashtead Group plc ("Ashtead") announces that prior to their expiry in February
2011 Ian Robson today exercised 249,332 unapproved share options originally
granted to him in 2001 at a price of £1.15 per share.

Ian has also today sold 212,127 shares at £165.8p per share to generate net
proceeds equal to the exercise price and the income tax and national insurance
arising thereon and has retained the remaining 37,205 shares.

As a result of these transactions Ian Robson now holds 1,552,033 Ashtead
ordinary shares representing 0.3% of the Company's total share of voting
capital.

The Company also announces that the shares sold by Ian Robson were purchased by
the Company's ESOT.

Eric Watkins

General Counsel

0207 726 9740